Maynilad Water customers in Muntinlupa will get bill rebates after the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System Regulatory Office (MWSS-RO) found Maynilad “liable for prolonged water service interruptions (WSI).”
MWSS-RO chief regulator Patrick Lester Ty in a statement said the MWSS-RO will impose a penalty on Maynilad for the interruptions.
Ty said the interruptions happened from December 2021 to February 2022 reportedly due to the failure of Maynilad’s water plants, particularly its Putatan Water Treatment Plants.
Brgy. Putatan is located in Muntinlupa. Currently, Maynilad has two water treatment plants in the said barangay. Ideally, the Putatan facility draws water from Laguna Lake which will be used to supply thousands of customers in Muntinlupa and other areas.
But Ty, in a statement, said based on the evidence, “Maynilad failed to meet its Service Obligation of ensuring the availability of an uninterrupted 24 hour supply of water at seven pounds per square inch (psi) minimum pressure to all connected customers in its service area.
The executive said customers within the PWTP Supply Zone “were found to have been deprived of water service for at least 15 days.
The regulator said thousands were left with no water for up to 18 hours a day, and still some, for days. Customers also reportedly told the regulator that the water coming out of faucets is discolored and brownish.
Ty said affected customers can avail of the rebate program in March. Customers are also encouraged to check for updates via the MWSS RO’s official Facebook page (@MWSS.RO) Twitter account (@mwssro) and website (ro.mwss.gov.ph).
A public hearing was also conducted by the Muntinlupa local government last February 8.
In a statement, Maynilad said it will comply with the regulator’s decision. But Maynilad said that the PWTP’s production was affected by the quality of water in the Laguna Lake.
“We wish to inform the public that our water service in the south has already been ramping up over the last few days following improvements in the turbidity level of Laguna Lake and our treatment process interventions; hence, most of the affected customers now have uninterrupted supply,” Maynilad said.
Laguna Lake reportedly provides 8 percent of Maynilad’s raw water supply.
The company serves customers in the west zone, which includes Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon Manila, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasay, Quezon City, and Valenzuela. It also services areas in Cavite including Bacoor, Cavite, and Imus.